In the preparation of batter and dough compositions, leavening agents are typically used to increase the volume of the batter and dough compositions during cooking and/or baking. Different leavening agents are used for the preparation of different types batter and dough compositions. One type of leavening agent is a natural leavening agent such as yeast. Yeast acts with dough to increase the volume of the dough prior to baking the dough. Dough is often used to prepare products such as breads, doughnuts, bagels, rolls, etc.
Another type of leavening agent is a chemical leavening composition. Such chemical leavening composition comprises a leavening acid and a corresponding leavening base. The leavening acid reacts with the leavening base to evolve gas, typically CO.sub.2. The evolved gas acts to increase the volume of the batter composition prior to and during cooking and/or baking. Such chemical leavening composition is used commercially in the preparation of batter compositions used to prepare food products such as doughnuts, pancakes, biscuits, cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, hush puppies, etc.
There are numerous chemical leavening compositions known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, there are numerous leavening acids used in such chemical leavening compositions. Known leavening acids include mono- and dicalcium phosphates, sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, potassium acid tartrate, fumaric acid, ammonium orthophosphate, glucono delta lactone, and various organic acids. While there are numerous leavening acids known to those skilled in the art, it would be desirable to identify a leavening acid which has a lower cost than known leavening acids, provides for better quality product, i.e., a product having better flavor, texture and appearance, and allows for easier application and more uniform distribution, i.e., mixes well with other ingredients and is easy to handle.
It would therefore by desirable to identify such a chemical leavening acid. The present invention provides for such a chemical leavening acid, which chemical leavening acid possess such properties.